Method of forming mower guards



A y 2%, 1932 c. R. WESTBERG 1,358,511

METHOD 0F FORMING MOWER GUARDS I Filed Feb. 21. 1930 F i in? Carma/em Patented July 26, 1932 UNE'FED STATES PATENT orrlcr CARL R. WESTBERG, OE HINSDALE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL HAR- VESTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY METHOD OF FORMING MOWER GUARDS Application filed February 21, 1930.

This invention relates to a method of forming so-called mower guards, which are used in connection with the cutting apparatus of such harvesting machines as, for example, mowers, grain binders, and the like.

The objects of the invention are to form a mower guard from a blank in such a manner that the cost of producing the same will be materially lowered; to provide a guard of conventional shape formed in a particular manner to permit the same to be drop forged; and, lastly, generally to simplify and improve the manufacture of such guards.

These desirable objects are achieved by the method of this invention, which, briefly, comprises the steps of transforming a blank piece of stock by drop forging into a conventionally shaped mower guard having its lid part bent away from the body of the guard, so that the upper surface of said body may be conventionally formed with a ledger plate surface, then. heating the bent back lip part, and finally bending said lip part to its normal position relative to the body of the guard overhanging the ledge plate surface.

In the drawing illustrating the guard and the method of making the same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the guard in process of manufacture, with the lip part bent away from the body to expose the ledger surface;

Figure 2 is a side view of the showing in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the completed guard; and,

Figure 4 is a side view of the completed guard.

In the manufacture of this improved guard, a suitable blank piece of stock is placed in a forging machine, and a drop hammer having appropriate dies is provided for hammering the blank into the shape shown in Figures 1 and 2, where the blank already assumes the shape of a conventional guard having a body 10, a heel portion 11 for aflixation to a cutter bar, side wings or extensions 12, which, in the usual manner, serve as spacers or abutments when a series of these guards is mounted on a cutter bar. The guard body is hammered out hollow, as at 13, and ledger sur- Serial No. 430,207.

faces 14 are also provided in the forging operation. The usual lip part shown at 15 is bent back, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, thereby exposing the surfaces 13 and 14, whereby the said surfaces can conveniently be drop forged. The surfaces 13 and 14 preferably will be forged at the same time that the entire body of the guard is being forged, thus making it possible to complete all forging and shaping steps in one operation. It is to be noted that the lip part 15 is preferably bent away from the body 10 and the surfaces 13 and 14 in a longitudinal direction to said body and said surfaces. Further the point of the guard is initially formed so it is bent angularly down relative to the body as shown in Figure 2.

The next step in the process of forming the guards is to heat the point 16 of the guard and the lip part 15 and to bend the said parts to their normal positions in a finished guard, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, in which the lip part 15 overhangs the body 10 and the ledger surfaces 13 and 14, as shown particularly well in Figure 4.

From this detailed description, it can now be seen that an improved method of forging mower guards has been provided, which achieves the desirable objects of this invention as heretofore stated, i disclosed.

It is the intention to cover all such changes of the method herein described as do not materially depart from the spirit and scope of this invention as indicated in the appended claims.

VVhat is claimed is:

1. The method of drop forging a. conventional mower guard comprising hammering a blank into shape with the point of the guard curved substantially at an angle to the body and with the lip of the guard bent away in a longitudinal direction relative to the guard body so that the ledger plate surface may be conveniently forged, and then bending said point and lip to their normal positions relative to the body.

2. The method of forming a mower guard which comprises transforming a blank into a guard of conventional shape with the point thereof bent downwardly with respect to the body at substantially a right angle theretoand' With the lip laid back to be in substantial aline-ment VWith the body, whereby to expose the ledger surface for forging, then forging said ledger surface, and finally finishing the guard by bending the point and lip to their normal conventional positions relative to the body In testimony whereof, I aflix' my signature.

GARL. R. WESTBERG. 

